As the years go by, it seems our families and circles of friends only get larger. While this is great most of the time, when holidays roll around, and it’s time to start thinking about buying gifts, the headaches can be unbearable. One year, a couple of Christmases ago, I decided to buy gifts for every member of my family, and every friend I had. To save money, I bought everyone tacky little trinkets. Of course, when they opened their gifts on Christmas Day, everyone smiled and said how much they loved their gifts, but I could tell: they were thinking, Why the heck did he get me this? The end result? I wasted—yes, wasted—a lot of money.
The next year, I decided to just focus on my closest family members and friends. That meant I could afford to buy my brother the DVD set he wanted, and my parents absolutely loved the personally-engraved ‘family tree’ gift: a ceramic tree, fitted with photographs of each of their three children. And as for everyone I didn’t guy gifts for? I called them on the phone, each and every one of them, and told them how much they meant to me. They loved the gesture, and, in many ways, it was better than receiving gifts.
This year, I’m adding free ecards onto the list, along with thoughtful phone calls. The free christmas e-cards at gotfreecards.com are completely free, and the only time they take is the time I spend choosing just the right card. You should try it, too: it’s a great way to not only save money, but also to let everyone in your life know how much you truly care.